Presented by leading fashion trade magazine Earnshaw’s, the Earnie Awards annually celebrate childrenswear design excellence. No stranger to these honors, Fore!! Axel & Hudson was named Best New Company in 2011 and nominated this year for Best Boys Collection. Its newly-launched sister line – Fore’N’Birdie – was also nominated as Best Girls Collection.

“I was completely blown away to be nominated in three categories and truly cherish this victory for PGA Authentic Junior,” says Paul Nguyen, Fore!! Axel & Hudson Co-Owner and Creative Director. “It’s a testament to the amazing relationships we’ve built with retailers and their customers and I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to vote for us!”

Launched for Spring 2013 for the off-course market, PGA Authentic Junior is an official partnership with the PGA of America. It includes a range of classic and fashion-forward apparel, accessories and headwear for boys and girls. Capturing Fore!! Axel and Hudson’s Southern California roots and the PGA’s pride and passion for the game, the designs feature eye-catching details and luxurious, eco-friendly fabrics. Retailing from $34 to $101, items are available in sizes 2T through 12.

As the only comprehensive awards program for manufacturers in the industry, the Earnie Awards denote children’s retailers’ seal of approval. All winners will be presented with a trophy and a cast of adorable kids to model the front-running looks during the annual runway show at the Earnie Awards Ceremony, taking place at the Javits Center on Monday, October 7.

Salty Grips are cork putter grips that are a sustainable alternative to rubber.

In 2012, Mark Button and Whitfield Flowers -- two entrepreneurs with a love for both fishing and golf -- set out to combine their two passions by developing a lightweight putter grip inspired by the cork handles on fishing rods.

From that premise, Salty Grips was born.

A premium cork putter grip company based in Richmond, Va., Salty Grips aren't simply pretty grips that look different from others.

While they sure are pretty and different, the fact is Salty Grips also provide two key elements any golfer can appreciate. First, Salty Grips are a sustainable alternative to traditional rubber grips. And second, the light weight of cork and the smooth texture of the grips enhance feel and encourage a confident putting stroke.

Unlike rubber grips, which need replacement, you can restore Salty Grips without even removing them from your putter. Simply give the grip a light brush with a fine-grit sandpaper and the cork will be restored to its original feel and hue.

"My Salty Grip is just what I need to feel quiet hands during my stroke," says Adam Smith, the 2008 Middle Atlantic PGA Section Teacher of the Year. "I teach tempo and connection during putting lessons. My students will truly improve their stroke and feel with this putter grip!"

Salty Grips are hand-crafted in Portugal and harvested from sustainable cork oak forests, and then finished, sealed and engraved in Richmond, Va. Currently, there are two grip options available: Mid-Plus Salty Grip at 40 grams (the lightest mid-plus putter grip available) and the Oversize Grip at 70 grams.

Custom engraving options are available on both grips and the grips, it should be noted, conform to USGA rules.

Salty Grips are available for purchase at www.saltygrips.com, retailing from $34.95 to $39.95 with an additional cost for custom engraving. Free shipping in the U.S. and discounts on bulk orders is also available.

These Sun Mountain H2NO Lite bags are just two of the waterproof offerings for the company's 2014 line up.

In 2007, Sun Mountain introduced the first waterproof golf bag. New for 2014, the H2NO collection of bags will be expanded to include cart bags and carry bags, all constructed with waterproof fabric, taped seams, and waterproof zippers. The full range of H2NO golf bags will be in stores in October with retail prices from $259-$289.

In part, here's the press release with the announcement from Sun Mountain:

Sun Mountain’s most popular bag in Europe, the H2NO carry bags feature tops with integrated handles for ease in picking up and setting down, a top-molded stand attachment for stability, Sun Mountain’s proprietary E-Z Fit Dual Strap System for a balanced carry across both shoulders, patented Roller-Bottom stand mechanism for easy leg activation, and for those rounds that you ride, H2NO stand bags feature leg lock straps and a cart-friendly bottom that will fit into a cart’s bag well. H2NO carry bags feature ample storage space, too, including a full-length clothing pocket, a velour-lined valuables pocket, and multiple accessory pockets. The 2014 collection of waterproof carry bags will include the H2NO Lite ($259), H2NO Ultra Lite ($229) and the H2NO Staff.

The H2NO Cart bag features a larger diameter, individual club-divided top, and waterproof pockets to include two full-length clothing pockets, multiple accessory pockets and a velour-lined valuables pocket ($289).

The waterproof pockets and rainhood on the H2NO bags feature the same waterproof construction as Sun Mountain’s line of rainwear to include waterproof fabric, taped seams, and YKK waterproof zippers. The extra technology required to make a bag waterproof will be much appreciated by golfers who carry items like cigars, mobile phones, and range-finders. Additionally, when used with the matching rainhood the waterproof protection of the H2NO bags extends to the clubs.

For 30 years Sun Mountain has been a pioneer in the golf industry, revolutionizing golf bags, golf outerwear and golf carts. Sun Mountain's many innovations, including the first lightweight golf bag and modern stand bag, have made it the top golf bag company in North America. Within golf outerwear, Sun Mountain redefined golf-specific performance first with the windshirt, then fleece, and again with its four-way stretch, waterproof, and breathable rainwear. The Sun Mountain Speed Cart® golf push cart transformed walking carts and created an entirely new category of golf products. Sun Mountain's "Ahead of Time Design" motto drives the company to continually design and refine golf equipment.

The long and mid irons in the Mizuno MP-54 set feature a Milled Step Muscle with a cavity cut into them to help provide extra forgiveness and a higher ball flight.

Many players get into golf by playing game-improvement irons and, sure enough, their games improve. Then what?

That was the question Mizuno's designers and engineers asked themselves. Their answer: the new MP-54 irons, the follow-up to Mizuno's MP-53 set.

"Over the past several years, Mizuno's MP iron category has expanded to a point where consumers expect a 'player' iron look and feel with the forgiveness of today's technologically advanced equipment," said Vice President of Product Management Chuck Couch of the challenge Mizuno faced.

The MP-54s are created for better players – those with handicaps from scratch up to about 12 – who want a bit more forgiveness than classic blades provide. At various stages of development and testing, Mizuno staff players including Luke Donald, Charles Howell III and Jonathan Byrd provided their feedback.

What makes them unique is the ''Milled Step Muscle'' in the 3-iron through 7-iron. As is the case with many Mizuno clubs, each MP-54 is forged from mild carbon steel, and the 3- through 7-irons feature a thick muscleback with a 4-millimeter-wide slot.

This Milled Step Muscle allowed the engineers to reposition the removed weight around the head's perimeter, which increases stability on off-center hits. It also creates a deeper center of gravity for more forgiveness and a higher ball flight, all while maintaining the necessary heft behind the ball to deliver a solid impact.

The scoring irons – 8-iron down through pitching wedge – don't have the slot. Instead, they feature Mizuno's Solid Muscle Design – essentially, a solid clubhead, thicker in its bottom half, to improve playability. Those attributes also are enhanced by a perimeter grind on both the heel and toe, and the clubs feature Harmonic Impact Technology (H.I.T.), in which Mizuno's engineers tune the clubhead design to maximize feel and feedback.

By comparison, Mizuno says the MP-54 clubheads will be about the same size as the MP-53s, but will offer a more heavily beveled sole for cleaner turf interaction. And, of course, the cavity cut into the MP-54s gives them a lower center of gravity than the MP-53s.

The MP-54s will be available at retail on Sept. 9 in both right-handed and left-handed models, and will carry a suggested retail price of $999.99. They come outfitted with True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 shafts and Golf Pride M-31 58 round grips, though a variety of custom shafts and grips also are available. Custom set make-ups also can be assembled from in mixed or combo sets or with MP-H4 long irons.

The Tour Trusty is made of Cast 8620 Carbon Steel and available in a Tour Matte Satin and Tour Matte Black PVD finish.

COBRA Golf has introduced a new family of performance wedges under its Trusty line set for release on October 1.

Here's the announcement from COBRA:

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Tour inspired performance, look and feel combine in the new Tour Trusty product line to create a new family of wedges designed by COBRA Golf in conjunction with Tour pros. Featuring COBRA’s Tour notch K-Grind, a Tour preferred shape and Variable Feed Rate Milling, Tour Trusty wedges are designed for precision wedge play and shot versatility.

“Our Research & Development team worked tirelessly with our Tour athletes like Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter, Lexi Thompson and Jonas Blixt to create the Tour Trusty wedge,” commented Tom Preece, Vice President of Research & Development. “With their input and our research and technology, we have developed a true performance wedge that will perform in the toughest conditions.”

The non-offset compact shaping delivers excellent alignment at address and the groove edges and volume have been maximized to the USGA allowable limit. COBRA’s new Tour notch K-GrindTM provides heel and toe relief for Tour-trusted versatility around the greens. This combination allows golfers to hone in around the green for optimized shot making.

COBRA’s proprietary Variable Feed Rate milling consists of two depths of cut to maximize spin on even the shortest of shots. The Tour Trusty has double the amount of surface roughness than the Trusty Rusty and new, wider grooves to provide maximum spin so golfers can stop the trickiest of shots around the green. Adding to that, the Tour Trusty has a straighter leading edge and new, wider grooves for improved spin.

The Tour Trusty is made of Cast 8620 Carbon Steel and available in a Tour Matte Satin and Tour Matte Black PVD finish. This does more than just make a great looking wedge – it provides excellent feel and reduces glare for the golfer.

The Tour Trusty (MAP $119) will be available in 11 loft/bounce options in both right and left handed models (48.08°, 50.08°, 52.08°, 54.10°, 56.12°, 56.08°, 58.08°, 60.10°, 60.06°, 62.08° and 64.08°). All options will be available in a Tour Matte Satin or Tour Matte Black PVD finish with a True Temper Dynamic Golf S200 shaft and Golf Pride® New Decade MultiCompound Whiteout grip.

The Daytona 12 (upper left), Maranello 81 (upper right), Monte Carlo 12 (lower left) and Sebring 62 (lower right) illustrated several of the different head shapes in the new Ghost Tour Series of putters from TaylorMade Golf.

After making a splash with new counter-weighted, high-MOI putters like the Ghost Spider S and Daddy Long Legs earlier this year, TaylorMade Golf is rolling out a new collection of Ghost Tour Series putters for golfers who prefer traditional shapes and weighting.

The new ensemble includes three blade-style putters – the Daytona 12, Daytona 62 and Sebring 62 – along with four mallets – the Maranello 81, Fontana 72, Monte Carlo 12 and Corza 72. As you can easily see, many of these putters join the long list of TaylorMade putters named for prominent race tracks around the world.

''We spent a full year perfecting every detail on our Ghost Tour putters, making each one a thing of beauty, elegance and excellence,'' said Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade's director of iron, wedge and putter development. ''Golfers will be blown away when they set each of these putters down for the first time, and again when they experience the performance.''

The new putters feature a black ion plating on the sole as well as a coat of durable white paint to provide contrast against the green. Black parallel lines on the trailing edge form the first- and second-read alignment system to further aid in alignment.

Each new flatstick includes a multi-material 8020 PureRoll insert (80 percent Surlyn and 20 percent aluminum) to promote smooth roll, distance control and enhanced feel. Each model also features a rubber TaylorMade grip and a stepless chrome shaft – and, for the first time, golfers can upgrade to the same shaft in matte black finish that some PGA Tour players use to help reduce glare.

The Ghost Tour Series putters are priced at $149 each, with the optional matte black shaft going for an extra $40. They come in lengths of 33, 34 and 35 inches, and will be available at retail on Sept. 1 (except for the Corza 72 model, which will be out in November).